Is it important to assign responsibility for the Emergency Response Plan (ERP) to a specific individual?
A Business Continuity Risk Program along with its Emergency Response Plan component cannot succeed without responsibilities being clearly defined. This is particularly true when it comes to management of the ERP. For this reason it is critical to identify one or more individuals who, at the time of a crisis, could fulfill this role. Because of the seriousness of this responsibility it is best to recruit volunteers willing to deal with uncomfortable situations and disturbing sights. In addition, the Chief Compliance Officer recommends that this role be empowered with emergency authority to assign critical sub-tasks to others outside the team. Examples might include purchasing of replacement items or issues related to human resources.
